INTERPROVINCIAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 203, 28 August 1877, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL.

[PJRKSS AGENCY.] Wellington, Saturday. The proposed Land Act is very lengthy, coutaiug 169 clauses, besides schedules and ten important appendices. The principal features are as follows :— All existing acts, ordinances, and regulations are to be repealed from the Ist December next, when the new Act comes into operation. The old Provinces are made Land Districts, for each of which there will be a Commissioner aud a Board appointed by the Governor. The Board will be entrusted with large powers in the administration of land ; members to retain office for three years, and to be eligible for re-appointment; members to receive £1 per sitting and actual travelling allowances. All Crown lands to be divided into town suburban, and rural. All town and suburban lands will be offered at pudlic auction in sections to be determined by the Board with the approval of the Governor. Minimum price of town land, £20 per acre ; suburban, £3 per acre ; rural land, as per appendix, provided that iio larger quantity t lan 320 acres be offered in one lot. Any persons extorting money for abstaining from bidding shall be liable to two years' imprisonment or a fine of £200; and anyone accepting money for the same shall be liable to two years' imprisonment or a fine of £500. Land of either of three classes may be set aside for payment on deferred payments. No persons shall be allowed to select laud in more than one class, nor more than one section. No allotment of rural land to exceed 320, or of suburban 20 acres. Price for deferred payment to be one-half more than for cash. Deferred paymeui to extend over five years for town aud suburban, and ten for rural ; the yearly fee to be one-fifth of the price for town and suburban, and one-tenth for rural; the selector within two years to cultivate one-tenth of the land if rural, aud one-fifth of town or suburban. The Governor may set apart blocks of pastoral land in allotments not exceeding 5000 acres each for sale on like terms of deferred payments, but such sales should be made not more than twelve months before the expiration of existing leases, and occupation to commence at the termination of the lease. Provision is also made for the conservation of forests; also, for cutting timber aud flax, and for other purposes. Monday. - Ihe City of New York, with the London mails of July 26, left San Francisco on the 15th instant for Auckland, via Honolulu. The Zealandia, with the July mails, arrived at 'Frisco on the 22nd inst. She left Auckland on the Ist iust., making an excellent passage of 21 days. Calling at Honolulu has been resumed, and the contractors have notified that they will continue to do so. The Waka Maori case occupied the Court all day. Mr Macassey, in his opening address spoke nearly two hours. Only three witnesses have been examined. The principal points elicited in evidence were these:— Mr Clarke, Under-Secretary of the Native Department, stated thathe recommended that one of the letters should not be published, as it contained statements regarding a gentleman in another part of the colony, which he considered it improper to insert, and he decliued to trauslate the letter. About a month subsequently, an account of the natives complaining of their letter not being inserted, he received a telegram from the Native Minister giving instructions for the letter to be published in the Waka Maori. The counsel for the plaintiff called two natives to prove that they gave no authority for attaching their names to the letter. The case is expected to occupy from eight to ten days. " Two juryi»G/i who absented themselves were fined .£lO each.. The Court was crowded all day. A meeting of licensed victuallers and others interested jij the liquor traffic was held this afternoon, when about thirty were present. Several of the speakers, in commenting on the Local Option Bill, considered its provisions as most unfair to mcrchauts aud licensed victuallers. It was remarked that although many- .merchants were interested in the Bill, yet icew were present. It was resolved that the members for the city and the outlying districts of Wellington should on Wednesday next receive a deputation from that meeting, so as to learn their views on the Local Option Bill; aud it was suggested (and, though not formerly put and carried, will be acted upon) thathe Wellington members be invited to get ths committal of the Bill postponed for another week, so as' to enable delegates of the licensed < victuallers from various parts of the colony to arrive here. Dukedjn, Monday. The Jockey Club has issued a programme of the November and March races. The principal events are :— Gup of 500 sova; Jockey Club, 300 s.ovs; Forbury Handicap, 200 sovs; Derby, 150 sovs. Information has been laid against Messrs Weir and Sampson, charging them with arson, in consequence of the verdict of the coroner's jury. The case will be heard on Saturday. Wylie was to-day adjudged guilty of having an illicit still in his possession. Sentence deferred. Up to the present the petition in favor of keeping the Mu3eum open on Sundays has been, signed by 3000 people. Graiiamstown, Monday. The Alburnia crushing of general stuff

and specimens yielded 2156 ozs 10 dwts of retorted gold. A rifle match was fired on Saturday be tween 23 of the Thames Scottish, and 25 of the No. 2 Hauraki; fire shots at each ranee of 200, 400, and 500 yards. The match resulted in a tie, the aggregate scores being 1 108 points each Major Cooper, who acted as umpire, gave the match in favor of the Scottish, who made the largest scores at the long rauge. There was great excitement over the match, aud the result was regarded as almost unprecedented in volunteering. _, XT Alexandra, Tuesday. Ihe Natives are passing in large numbers on their return from the Native meeting. They report that the Kingites are determined to remain more isolated than ever, and that no pakehas will be allowed to travel ia their distiict for the future. Gkeymouth, Tuesday. The St. Kilda is likely to become a total wreck. Two of her masts went by the board last night. The Catholics have held a meeting and passed resolutions condemnatory of the Edu- j cation Bill. At the inquest on the body of John Kerr who was killed by the explosion in the Greymouth Company's coal mine, the jury returned a verdict that the cause of the explosion was the cutting of a fuse with a ragged edge. The other threa men are expected to live.